TOYOTA SOLARA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Engine (ignition) switch, Transmission and Parking
brake
Engine (ignition) switch144
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Automatic transmission 146
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Manual transmission 150
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Traction control system 151
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Vehicle stability control system 154
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Tire pressure warning system 155
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Parking brake 162
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Cruise control 163
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SECTION 1 7

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With manual transmission
With automatic transmission
“START”—Starter motor on. The engine
switch will return to the “ON” position
when released.
For starting tips, see page 289 in Section
3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the engine switch in the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position and open the
driver’s door, a buzzer will remind you to
remove the key.
“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The engine switch can
be removed only at this position.
With manual transmission—You must push
in the key to turn the engine switch from
“ACC” to the “LOCK” position.
With automatic transmission—The selector
lever must be put in the “P” position be-
fore turning the engine switch from “ACC”
to the “LOCK” position.
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobilizer system is automatically set. (See
“Engine immobilizer system” on page 14
in Section 1−2.) When starting the engine, the engine
switch may seem stuck at the “LOCK”
position. To free it, first be sure the
key is pushed all the way in, and then
rock the steering wheel slightly while
turning the key gently.
Approximately five hours after the engine
is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the floor around the driver ’s
seat for several minutes. This is normal
operation and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion. (See “Leak detection pump” on page
viii.)
It is not a malfunction if the needles on
all meters and gauges move slightly when
the engine switch is turned to the “ACC”,
“ON” or “START” position.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
Engine (ignition) switch

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NOTICE
Do not leave the engine switch in the
“ON” position if the engine is not
running. The battery will discharge
and the ignition could be damaged.

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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the engine
switch in the “ON” position).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and key
removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (shifting into overdrive)
S: “S” mode driving
+: Upshift range
: Downshift range
Automatic transmission
Shift with the brake pedal
depressed.
(The engine switch must
be in the “ON” position.)
Shift normally.
To select “S” or “D”, lean
the selector lever leftward
or rightward. Selector lever

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(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 290 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
“P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, etc.
Always use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. In this posi-
tion, shifting into the overdrive gear is
possible. If the engine coolant temperature
is low, the transmission will not shift into
the overdrive gear even in the “D” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. (c) Driving in “S” mode
You can change the shift range position
in the “S” mode. The shift range posi-
tion can be switched between 5 (fifth
range) and 1 (first range) by moving
the selector lever up to the “+” side or
down to the “” side. The first shift
range position is 4 (fourth range) when
the selector lever is shifted to the “S”
position.
The “S” mode indicator and the shift range
position being used are shown on the in-
strument cluster.
1: Upshift range
2: Downshift range

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Shift range positions
“5” (Fifth range):
The most suitable gear is selected au-
tomatically between first and overdrive
(fifth) gears according to the vehicle
speed or driving conditions.
“4” (Fourth range):
The most suitable gear is selected au-
tomatically between first and fourth
gears according to the vehicle speed
or driving conditions. Slight engine
braking will be obtained on a downhill
road. Smooth running with less shifting
will be obtained on an uphill road.
“3” (Third range):
The most suitable gear is selected au-
tomatically between first and third
gears according to the vehicle speed
or driving conditions. This range is to
be used when stronger engine braking
is necessary.
“2” (Second range):
First or second gear will be selected
automatically according to the vehicle
speed or driving conditions. This range
is to be used when engine braking
stronger than that of the “3” range
position is necessary.
“1” (First range):
The gear is fixed in first regardless of
vehicle speed or driving conditions.
This range is to be used when maxi-
mum engine braking is necessary.
If you attempt to downshift the transmis-
sion when it is not possible to downshift
due to high vehicle speed, a warning tone
sounds twice.
NOTICE
Do not drive in the “3”, “2” or “1”
range when driving at high speed or
climbing a gentle slope for a long
time. Otherwise the transmission or
engine may overheat causing damage.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speed in each
range:
2.4 L 4cylinder (2AZFE) engine range km/h (mph)
1 52 (32)
2 94 (58)
3 146 (90)
3.3 L V6 (3MZFE) engine range km/h (mph)1 47 (29)
2 86 (53)
3 133 (83)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower range.
When the “S” mode indicator light does
not come on even with the selector lever
moved to the “S” position, there may be a
problem somewhere in the system. Have
your vehicle checked/repaired by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible. In this
case, you can drive in the same condition
as in the “D” position.

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(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
When driving in the “D” position—Shift the selector lever to “S” posi-
tion.
When driving in the “5” range within
the “S” position— Move the selector lever down to the
“− ” side to select the “4” range.
The transmission will downshift to
fourth range and engine braking will be
enabled.
When the cruise control is being used,
engine braking can not be enabled be-
cause the cruise control is not can-
celled.
For decreasing the vehicle speed, see
“Cruise control” on page 163 in this
Section.
Move the selector lever down to the
“ − ” side to select the “3” range. The
transmission will downshift to third
range when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
2.4 L 4 −cylinder (2AZ −FE) engine
141 km/h (88 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3 L V6 (3MZ −FE) engine
129 km/h (80 mph)
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Move the selector lever down to the
“ − ” side to select the “2” range. The
transmission will downshift to second
range when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and more powerful engine brak-
ing than that of the “3” range position
will be enabled.
2.4 L 4 −cylinder (2AZ −FE) engine
89 km/h (55 mph)
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3.3 L V6 (3MZ −FE) engine
83 km/h (51 mph)
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Move the selector lever down to the
“ − ” side to select the “1” range. The
transmission will downshift to first
range when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and maximum engine braking
will be enabled.
2.4 L 4 −cylinder (2AZ −FE) engine
40 km/h (24 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3 L V6 (3MZ −FE) engine
39 km/h (24 mph)
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CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.

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(f) Parking1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, shift
the selector lever into “S” position.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(h) If you cannot shift the lever out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 318 in Section 4.
The shift pattern is conventional as
shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. Do
not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade—use the
parking brake.
Manual transmission

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Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speeds in each
gear:gear km/h (mph)1 53 (33)
2 92 (57)
3 142 (88)
4 194 (121)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release the
clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
NOTICE
 Do not use any gears other than
first gear when starting off and
moving forward. Doing so may dam-
age the clutch.
 Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of front
wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against front wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
Traction control system

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NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the trac-
tion control system is in the self−check
mode, but does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels. At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
newly fallen snow, etc., turn off the
traction control system. This system
that controls engine performance inter-
feres with the process of freeing front
wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on.
The vehicle stability control system is al-
ways activated, even if the traction control
system is turned off.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch
once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.